Latest news with #FloridaDepartmentofState
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers to provide $394K for Pulse memorial
Florida lawmakers have agreed to provide $394,000 in state funding for a memorial honoring the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre. The city of Orlando is planning a $12 million remembrance with a reflection pool, visitor pavilion, tribute wall and healing garden at the site of the former LGBTQ club. The rampage at the club killed 49 people, wounded 53 others and at the time was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Thursday marks the ninth anniversary of the shooting. Efforts to build a memorial began as a private campaign, which collapsed amid infighting. Now, government agencies have assumed responsibility for the undertaking with the goal of beginning construction in the summer of 2026. Pulse memorial gets $5 million pledge from Orange County Legislative budget leaders agreed Tuesday to commit state dollars to the project. The money was initially given to the onePULSE Foundation, the private group behind the memorial. The foundation agreed to repay the funds after it went defunct, according to the Florida Department of State. 'Ever since that happened, we have been working to bring these funds back for a memorial in Orlando,' said state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando. Earlier this month, Orange County pledged $5 million to support the project in addition to the $7.5 million budgeted by Orlando. City officials were pleased that the state also wants to contribute, Orlando spokeswoman Ashley Papagni said Wednesday in a prepared statement. 'We are thankful to the appropriation sponsors and House and Senate leadership for their support of the victims, survivors, families, and first responders impacted by the Pulse tragedy,' she said.
Business Journals
27-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Trawick Insurance opens Miami headquarters office
A global travel insurance company has moved its headquarters from Fairhope, Alabama, to Miami-Dade County. Trawick International announced it had relocated to the Sunshine State and opened its new 3,200-square-foot flagship office April 10. The company's new headquarters is on the 17th floor of the Dadeland Centre, 9155 S. Dadeland Blvd., in Kendall, according to its filing with the Florida Department of State. A Trawick spokesperson told the Business Journal that 10 staff will work out of the office, including its Latin America division's president, medical director, claims director and customer service manager. 'This is more than a change of address; it's a strategic investment in our future," President and CEO Daryl Trawick said. "Miami is a thriving, diverse and internationally connected city that mirrors our company's mission and values. It enables us to deepen our relationships with clients, partners and agents across the globe.' Founded in 1998, Trawick began by offering insurance plans to universities and students, including coverage for international students and study abroad programs. After more than a decade, the company expanded into the broader travel insurance market, and today provides a wide range of products including international travel insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, and student insurance plans. West Palm Beach investment firm raises $500 million Ares Management was one of the lead investors in a West Palm Beach-based investment firm's $500 million raise. The Los Angeles-based private equity giant (NYSE: ARES) co-led GoldState Music's raise alongside Northleaf Capital Partners. Individual investment amounts were not disclosed. Founded in 2022 by Managing Partner Charles Goldstuck, GoldState primarily invests in music rights, in addition to businesses and emerging music technology. The firm currently owns the music rights to over 50 artists across multiple genres, including ownership of one record label. 'Our new relationship with Northleaf and Ares marks the next step in the evolution of our music investing strategy,' Goldstuck said. 'This additional capital will enable us to further accelerate our ability to capitalize on increasing demand for music and build a diversified portfolio of music assets across artists and genres." Goldstuck's influence in the music industry spans decades. He is the founder of The Sanctuary at Albany, a recording studio and music academy in the Bahamas, and serves as executive chairman of TouchTunes Interactive Networks, a leading digital entertainment platform with over 80,000 locations worldwide. His past roles include president and COO of Bertelsmann Music Group and co-founder, with Clive Davis, of J Records, which later merged into RCA Music Group. During his tenure in the industry, he worked with top-tier artists including Usher, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5 and Rod Stewart. Goldstuck also tapped Grammy-nominated music artist Mike Posner, known for globally recognized hits like "Cooler than Me," "Please Don't Go" and "I took a Pill in Ibiza," as the creative ambassador of GoldState. 'Charles and GoldState Music bring a bold, visionary approach to music rights investment that seeks to empower artists,' said Jeevan Sagoo, managing director at Ares. 'We are excited to collaborate with them and provide Ares' deep sector and investment experience as they advance their long-term growth and value creation strategy.' Ares, one of the world's largest private equity firms with $525 billion in assets under management, has deepening ties to South Florida. Notably, it was among the first private equity firms to invest in an NFL team, acquiring a 10% stake in the Miami Dolphins following the league's policy shift to allow such investments. Further cementing its regional presence, Ares opened a 12,000-square-foot office in Miami Beach's Eighteen Sunset building last year, and maintains a 2,000-square-foot workspace at 3801 PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. Ares is also among South Florida's most active real estate investors, with a multimillion-dollar portfolio spanning industrial and other commercial properties. By the Numbers 67,400 Number of Americans who moved out of Miami-Dade County in 2024 26,300 Broward County's 2024 decline in domestic migration 7,546 Amount of U.S. citizens who left Palm Beach County in 2024 2,200% Percentage drop in domestic migration outflow in 2024 for Palm Beach County, the largest decline in South Florida Sign up here for the Business Journal's free morning and afternoon daily newsletters to receive the latest business news impacting South Florida. Download the free Business Journal app for breaking news alerts on your phone. South Florida's Sports and Entertainment Venues Capacity Rank Prior Rank Venue/URL 1 1 Hard Rock Stadium 2 2 Miami Beach Convention Center 3 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway View this list
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Happy 116th Birthday to Panama City Florida
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – Sunday marks Panama City Florida's Sweet 116th Birthday. The city was formed on February 23, 1909, and incorporated the areas of St. Andrews, Millville, Harrison, and Floriopolis. Since then the city has been growing, thriving, and shining. From its rich history to its incredible community, Panama City is a wonderful place to be! George Mortimer West is known as the founding father of Panama City. In 2000, he was recognized as a great Floridian by the Florida Department of State. Here's to 116 years of memories and many more to come! Happy Birthday Panama City! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four more Republican candidates seeking Florida Senate seat in Brevard that Mayfield wants
Longtime state legislator Debbie Mayfield suddenly has four Republican challengers for the Florida Senate seat she is seeking in a special election. Mayfield, a Republican, currently is a member of the Florida House of Representatives in District 32, representing Central Brevard County. But Mayfield will be resigning from that seat, effective June 9, so she can run for the Florida Senate District 19 seat in Central and South Brevard being vacated on March 31 by Republican Randy Fine, who, in turn, is running for a seat in Congress in Florida District 6 to fill a vacancy in the Daytona Beach area. During the candidate qualifying period that ended at noon Tuesday, four other Republican candidates signed up to run for the Senate District 19 seat. However, the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections has delayed its certification of which candidates qualified for the election. In addition to Mayfield, the Republican candidates are: Marcie Adkins of Grant-Valkaria. She is a retired economic consulting firm owner. Adkins ran against Fine in a Republican primary for Florida House in 2020. Fine, the incumbent, won that primary and the subsequent general election. Gabriel Goddard of Indialantic. Goddard is the executive director of U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation in Titusville and vice chair of the Museums of Brevard. Goddard ran as a Democrat for Congress in 2014, under the name Gabriel Rothblatt, losing to then-incumbent Bill Posey, a Republican from Rockledge. Mark Lightner III of Suntree. Lightner is a sales representative for TPSC, a Cocoa-based company that sells heavy equipment, including self-propelled modular transporters for the space and shipbuilding industries, as well as for crane and rigging companies. This is his first run for public office. Tim Thomas of Melbourne. Thomas is a former member of the Melbourne City Council, having served two four-year terms. He could not seek reelection to the City Council in 2024 because of term limits. He briefly was a candidate against Fine in the 2024 Senate District 19 election, but then withdrew his candidacy. The Florida Department of State's Division of Elections is responsible for certifying that the candidates had qualified for a spot on the ballot, including submitting the required paperwork, as well as either paying a qualifying fee or submitting the required number of valid signatures on qualifying petitions. The qualifying period ended at noon Tuesday. However, officials from that office told Brevard elections officials that they would not disclose who qualified until some time after the qualifying period ends at noon Wednesday for the House District 32 special election. That's the seat Mayfield would be vacating to seek this one. A Florida Department of State spokeswoman did not provide a response Monday to questions from FLORIDA TODAY about the agency's decision to hold off on announcing which candidates qualified. Documents posted on the Division of Elections website show that Adkins, Goddard, Lightner, Mayfield and Thomas all submitted qualifying fee checks of $1,781.82 to the state, as did Democratic candidate Vance Ahrens of West Melbourne. The Republican candidates who qualify for the ballot will face off in a Republican special primary election on April 1. The winner of that primary will face Ahrens in a June 10 special general election for the seat. Ahrens, who ran unsuccessfully against Fine for the Senate seat in November, worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. Some of the Republican challengers to Mayfield said they did not like the way they felt Mayfield took advantage of a loophole in state laws on term limits to run for the Senate seat in this special election. Mayfield held the District 19 Senate seat until November, when she was forced out by term limits, after serving as a senator from 2016 to 2024. Instead, she ran for the House seat that she won in November. Fine, who was term-limited out of the Florida House, won Mayfield's old Senate seat. Mayfield's short break in service in the Senate allows her to run again for the Senate seat she was just term-limited out of. Mayfield, a resident of Indialantic, also previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016, before hit by term limits there. Lightner said he had concerns about Mayfield running for the Senate seat after being just being term-linited from running in 2024. He said he wasn't surprised that other candidates entered the campign this week, adding: "I wasn't expecting to be the only candidate" running against Mayfield. Lightner, at age 24, said he would like to "inspire the next generation of conservatives" with his candidacy, noting that many local elected officials are much older than he is. He said he has had aspirations to run for office for some time. Goddard — who said he submitted the last of his candidate paperwork in Tallahassee a minute before the deadline — also is concerned about what he believes is a loophole that allows Mayfield to run. "Government needs limits, not loopholes," Goddard said. "I think the voters are eagar for somebody new. The voters are thirsty for something fresh." Adkins said she is "sensitive to the concerns of all small-business owners and Florida homeowners," and, if elected, will focus on such issues as insurance, the Indian River and higher education. Mayfield and Thomas could not be reached for comment on the upcoming primary election. Ahrens, the Democratic candidate, said she was "a little surprised" seeing all the Republican candidates who are seeking the seat. Ahrens said the issues she will address in the campaign include controlling inflation, dealing with the property insurance crisis, working to help improve the condition of the Indian River Lagoon and improving infrastructure. Fine, a resident of Melbourne Beach, is resigning from the Florida Senate, effective March 31, as he seeks a seat in Congress in Florida's District 6, which covers a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine defeated two other Republican candidates in a GOP primary on Jan. 28. He now faces a Democrat, a Libertarian, a no-party-affiliation candidate and a write-in candidate in the April 1 special general election for that seat. The congressional seat is open because of the resignation of Michael Waltz, who was elected in November, but selected to be President Donald Trump's national security adviser. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Five Republicans seeking Florida Senate seat being vacated in Brevard
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Four more Republican candidates seeking Florida Senate seat in Brevard that Mayfield wants
Longtime state legislator Debbie Mayfield suddenly has four Republican challengers for the Florida Senate seat she is seeking in a special election. Mayfield, a Republican, currently is a member of the Florida House of Representatives in District 32, representing Central Brevard County. But Mayfield will be resigning from that seat, effective June 9, so she can run for the Florida Senate District 19 seat in Central and South Brevard being vacated on March 31 by Republican Randy Fine, who, in turn, is running for a seat in Congress in Florida District 6 to fill a vacancy in the Daytona Beach area. During the candidate qualifying period that ended at noon Tuesday, four other Republican candidates signed up to run for the Senate District 19 seat. However, the Florida Department of State's Division of Elections has delayed its certification of which candidates qualified for the election. GOP candidates emerge In addition to Mayfield, the Republican candidates are: Marcie Adkins of Grant-Valkaria. She is a retired economic consulting firm owner. Adkins ran against Fine in a Republican primary for Florida House in 2020. Fine, the incumbent, won that primary and the subsequent general election. Gabriel Goddard of Indialantic. Goddard is the executive director of U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation in Titusville and vice chair of the Museums of Brevard. Goddard ran as a Democrat for Congress in 2014, under the name Gabriel Rothblatt, losing to then-incumbent Bill Posey, a Republican from Rockledge. Mark Lightner III of Suntree. Lightner is a sales representative for TPSC, a Cocoa-based company that sells heavy equipment, including self-propelled modular transporters for the space and shipbuilding industries, as well as for crane and rigging companies. This is his first run for public office. Tim Thomas of Melbourne. Thomas is a former member of the Melbourne City Council, having served two four-year terms. He could not seek reelection to the City Council in 2024 because of term limits. He briefly was a candidate against Fine in the 2024 Senate District 19 election, but then withdrew his candidacy. The Florida Department of State's Division of Elections is responsible for certifying that the candidates had qualified for a spot on the ballot, including submitting the required paperwork, as well as either paying a qualifying fee or submitting the required number of valid signatures on qualifying petitions. The qualifying period ended at noon Tuesday. However, officials from that office told Brevard elections officials that they would not disclose who qualified until some time after the qualifying period ends at noon Wednesday for the House District 32 special election. That's the seat Mayfield would be vacating to seek this one. A Florida Department of State spokeswoman did not provide a response Monday to questions from FLORIDA TODAY about the agency's decision to hold off on announcing which candidates qualified. Documents posted on the Division of Elections website show that Adkins, Goddard, Lightner, Mayfield and Thomas all submitted qualifying fee checks of $1,781.82 to the state, as did Democratic candidate Vance Ahrens of West Melbourne. The Republican candidates who qualify for the ballot will face off in a Republican special primary election on April 1. The winner of that primary will face Ahrens in a June 10 special general election for the seat. Ahrens, who ran unsuccessfully against Fine for the Senate seat in November, worked in health care as a surgical technician for more than 20 years, and currently works as a retail manager. Concerns over term limit 'loophole' Some of the Republican challengers to Mayfield said they did not like the way they felt Mayfield took advantage of a loophole in state laws on term limits to run for the Senate seat in this special election. Mayfield held the District 19 Senate seat until November, when she was forced out by term limits, after serving as a senator from 2016 to 2024. Instead, she ran for the House seat that she won in November. Fine, who was term-limited out of the Florida House, won Mayfield's old Senate seat. Mayfield's short break in service in the Senate allows her to run again for the Senate seat she was just term-limited out of. Mayfield, a resident of Indialantic, also previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2008 to 2016, before hit by term limits there. Lightner said he had concerns about Mayfield running for the Senate seat after being just being term-linited from running in 2024. He said he wasn't surprised that other candidates entered the campign this week, adding: "I wasn't expecting to be the only candidate" running against Mayfield. Lightner, at age 24, said he would like to "inspire the next generation of conservatives" with his candidacy, noting that many local elected officials are much older than he is. He said he has had aspirations to run for office for some time. Goddard — who said he submitted the last of his candidate paperwork in Tallahassee a minute before the deadline — also is concerned about what he believes is a loophole that allows Mayfield to run. "Government needs limits, not loopholes," Goddard said. "I think the voters are eagar for somebody new. The voters are thirsty for something fresh." Adkins said she is "sensitive to the concerns of all small-business owners and Florida homeowners," and, if elected, will focus on such issues as insurance, the Indian River and higher education. Mayfield and Thomas could not be reached for comment on the upcoming primary election. Ahrens, the Democratic candidate, said she was "a little surprised" seeing all the Republican candidates who are seeking the seat. Ahrens said the issues she will address in the campaign include controlling inflation, dealing with the property insurance crisis, working to help improve the condition of the Indian River Lagoon and improving infrastructure. Fine's congressional election Fine, a resident of Melbourne Beach, is resigning from the Florida Senate, effective March 31, as he seeks a seat in Congress in Florida's District 6, which covers a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Fine defeated two other Republican candidates in a GOP primary on Jan. 28. He now faces a Democrat, a Libertarian, a no-party-affiliation candidate and a write-in candidate in the April 1 special general election for that seat. The congressional seat is open because of the resignation of Michael Waltz, who was elected in November, but selected to be President Donald Trump's national security adviser. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at
